Thursday, 30 May 2013

Wicklow Sinn Féin steps up campaign against Propery Tax as the Repeal Bill date set

Wicklow Sinn Féin is set to
ratchet up their campaign of opposition against the unfair and unjust Property
Tax. The date of 11th June has been set for the beginning of the debate in
Leinster House of the Repeal Bill that the party has introduced to axe the tax.

Speaking after the date was
set, Wicklow Sinn Féin councillor John Brady said "On 26th Sinn Féin
Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty launched a bill to repeal the Family Home
Tax in the Dáil and committed Sinn Féin to repeal the tax if in government
after the next general election. The Local Property Tax Repeal Bill 2013 will
be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday 11th June and voted upon on Wednesday 12th
June during Sinn Féin's Private Members time. This bill is a key part of Sinn
Fein’s alternative to austerity for lower and middle income families. These
families have borne the brunt of austerity budget after austerity budget under
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael/Labour."

Brady continued "Over
the last number of months we have held a series of public meetings on the issue
across Wicklow and we have collected thousands of signatures on a petition
demanding the abolition of the Family Home Tax and supporting the Sinn Féin
Repeal Bill. In the run up to June 11th we will step up our campaign again and
we will be out on the streets throughout the county collecting signatures and
asking people to contact their TDs and asking them to support the Sinn Féin
Bill when its voted upon on June 12th. We have already had motions demanding
the abolition of the tax passed by numerous councils across the state and we
are now asking Wicklow’s 5 TDs to stand with the people on this issue. Many
hundreds of thousands of people have refused or been unable to pay the unfair
tax and the vast majority of people who did pay done so under duress and out of
fear."

The Sinn Féin councillor
concluded "Sinn Féin has consistently argued for the introduction of a
wealth tax. We believe that a 1% tax on net assets in excess of €1 million has
the potential to yield up to €800 million. This is a real alternative to the
unjust tax and we have committed that if we are in government after the next
election we will repeal this tax. Our bill would refund the tax paid by
citizens for the year in which it is scrapped. We are asking everyone that’s
opposed to the tax to put huge amounts of pressure on their local councillors
and their TDs to support the Repeal Bill as the ordinary people simply can’t
afford to continue to pay the gambling debts of international speculators. The
bottom line is local communities will not see any increased benefits from their
local Council for the payment of this tax. That line simply doesn’t wash with people;
the only thing we will see is the continued downward spiral for people who are
genuinely struggling."